GOOD VIRUSES: A discovery by Medical School researchers could mean better treatments for multiple sclerosis patients. A team found that proteins from viruses and bacteria can inhibit the development of a disease in mice that, like MS, begins when the body's immune cells attack a sheath that is protecting neurons. That can result in a variety of neurological problems, including loss of coordination and abnormalities in speech and vision, that worsen as the disease progresses. "Previous studies have shown that viruses can trigger autoimmunity," says Lawrence Steinman, a professor of neurology. "Now we show the other side of the coin, that viruses can also protect from autoimmunity."
EMOTIONAL EDGE: Keeping your emotions in check might impair your memory. Stanford psychologists showed slides of men with physical injuries to a group of female undergraduates and instructed half of them to suppress their emotions. On a surprise memory-recall test that focused on data in the slides, the women who were permitted to wince or gasp performed better than those who were told to keep a poker face. Researchers speculated that hiding emotions diverts brainpower that could otherwise be used to absorb and retain information.
NEEDLE-FREE SHOTS: For some people, there's only one problem with immunizations: the needle. Now Stanford dermatologists have developed a liquid vaccine that can be absorbed directly through the skin's hair follicles. Although it has been tested only on mice, the technique could someday offer a practical alternative to shots. This would especially benefit developing countries with limited access to refrigeration (the vaccine can be stored at room temperature) and a dearth of people trained to administer shots.
